Author Archives: BankruptcyRealEstateInsights

About BankruptcyRealEstateInsights

Vicki R. Harding was a partner in the Detroit office of Pepper Hamilton LLP who moved to Arizona seeking warmer weather. Ms. Harding continues to handle commercial transactions with an emphasis on real estate and bankruptcy issues (but no longer owns a snow shovel).

Lease Interpretation: “Clear and Unambiguous” Is In the Eye of the Beholder?

Woodhollow Loft, Inc. v. Sisters of St. Francis Health Services Inc., 472 B.R. 494 (N.D. Ind. 2010) – The results can be unpredictable if a lease does not precisely document the parties’ intent, leaving matters up to a court’s imagination. The … Continue reading

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Treatment Under A Plan of Reorganization: What Does It Take To Discharge A Mortgage?

Acceptance Loan Co. v. S. White Transp., Inc. (In re S. White Transp., Inc.), 473 B.R. 695 (S.D. Miss. 2012) – In S. White Transportation, by remaining silent until after confirmation, a mortgagee managed to retain its lien notwithstanding the … Continue reading

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Mortgage Foreclosure: Beware the Automatic Stay

Kline v. Deutsche Bank Nat’l Trust Co. (In re Kline), 172 B.R. 98 (B.A.P. 10th Cir. 2012) – Under Section 362 of the Bankruptcy Code, filing a bankruptcy case automatically stays a wide variety of actions, including commencing or continuing a … Continue reading

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Delinquent Property Tax Collection: Foreclosure May Be Vulnerable

Williams v. City of Milwaukee City Clerk (In re Williams), 473 B.R. 307 (Bankr. E.D. Wis. 2012) – Wisconsin has a strict tax foreclosure procedure in which the tax authority effectively obtains the property without any public or competitive bidding … Continue reading

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“Strong Arm” Powers Round 3: What Happens If A Mortgage Is Recorded Before a Deed?

Olsen v. Heaver (In re Heaver), 473 B.R. 734 (Bankr. N.D. Ill. 2012) – The short story is that when a deed and mortgage are executed at the same time, but the mortgage is recorded before the deed, the recorded mortgage … Continue reading

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Automatic Stay Is Not Absolute: You Can Still Go To Jail

In re D’Mello, 473 B.R. 207 (Bankr. E.D. Mich. 2011) – Although the stay that automatically arises under Section 362 of the Bankruptcy Code when a bankruptcy petition is filed is very broad, there are exceptions, including actions to enforce … Continue reading

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